Page 66 of Atlas Uncharted

“Enough!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the room. I stepped forward, blocking Kairi from my mother’s gaze. “Mom, we’re done here if you can’t speak respectfully. You don’t get to come into her home and start tearing into Kairi just because things didn’t go your way. This is my life.”

Ashlen’s face twisted into a bitter smirk. “My life too, Atlas. Mine. The life I built with you, the life she’s taken. You think I don’t know how she schemed, keeping herself in the background? She’s had this planned from the start.”

“You’re delusional,” Kairi shot back. “This was never your life, Ashlen. That’s laughable. You already admitted you knew Atlas wanted me. I’m done apologizing for something I didn’t steal. He begged for me, not the other way around. You should thank me for even allowing you the time you had with him.”

Ashlen scoffed, her gaze flicking between Kairi and me. “You think you’re so special, don’t you, Kairi? You think you’ve won. But let’s be real—you’ll never measure up to me. When the newness wears off, he’ll be back.”

Kairi took a step forward. “Bitch, you don’t even believe that. That’s why you’re here now, you swamp-pussy bitch.”

Ashlen gasped.

My mother stood. “You’re throwing away everything we built,” she said quietly. “All for... this.” Her gaze landed on Kairi with so much contempt. “This is the kind of woman you want to bring into our family?”

I could feel the anger boiling over. “Mom, that’s enough. I’m not going to stand here and let you insult her like that. Kairi is a part of my life, whether you like it or not. And if you can’t accept that, then you’re the one who doesn’t belong here.”

Ashlen scoffed, crossing her arms. “You think I’m just going to let you play house with her?”

“This isn’t a game, Ashlen,” I said. “This is my life. Dion is my son, and I’m raising him with Kairi. Take the money I'm offering and find someone else to use and manipulate.”

Ashlen’s face twisted in anger, and she stepped forward. She looked like she was about to say something else, but my mother placed a hand on her arm, stopping her. “Let’s go, let the lawyers handle this,” my mother said, her tone colder than I’d ever heard it. She looked at me one last time before she turned to the door.

Ashlen hesitated, glaring at me, then at Kairi, before finally following my mother out. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving an unsettling silence in the room.

I let out a long breath, feeling the tension finally start to ease. Kairi’s hand was still in mine, and I squeezed it, pulling her close. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that,” I said quietly.

Ebony crossed her arms, sizing me up. “You better take care of that shit before we do. I know people, and this shit will get ugly before Kairi gets hurt again,” she declared before grabbing Kairi by the shirt and pulling her into the kitchen.

I sighed, wiping my hand down my face. Kairi had told me Ebony was the daughter of an ex-kingpin turned banker. I didn’t want her getting involved in any capacity that didn’t include being Kairi’s friend and Dion's godmother. I needed to call my lawyer again.

Chapter 48

Atlas

I paced the length of my lawyer's office . The neatly organized shelves, the scent of leather and wood polish—it all made my frustration worse. Why the hell was everything so perfect here when my life was a mess? I hadn’t come to hear things I didn’t want to, and Sam was saying stupid shit. I’d come to fix this Ashlen situation, and his job was to fix it, but he wasn’t.

“She’s going to drag this divorce out, Atlas. Why would you tell her you were giving her tree million dollars? Of course she knows you have more than that.” Sam said, leaning back in his chair. His tone was professional, even though I’d known him since we were in diapers. “And frankly, you’ve made it easier for her to take you for everything you got by moving into Kairi’s house so quickly. The optics aren’t great. You need to move out.”

I stopped pacing and turned to face him. “No. That’s my home now. Fuck that.”

Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, but I knew he wasn’t going to sugarcoat it. “I’m saying it gives her ammunition. In Florida, it’s no longer about proving adultery or fault, but behavior can still sway a judge’s perception. If Ashlen argues that this new situation disrupted your marriage, right after a miscarriage, it could work against you.”

“That’s bullshit,” I snapped, my voice cutting through the quiet. “We were already separated when I moved in. She initiated the divorce.”

Sam gave me a look. “And you think that matters to her narrative? Atlas, divorces aren’t just legal battles for people like you and Ashlen—then you involved a bestselling author that tons of people know. This is a public relations war. You handed her a perfect storyline. ‘Estranged husband runs off to live with his mistress.’”

“She’s not my mistress,” I growled. “Kairi’s the mother of my child.”

“And Ashlen’s your wife on paper,” Sam reminded me, his voice steady. “Until the ink dries, that still means something.”

I could feel my jaw clenching, my teeth grinding. “I’m not moving out,” I said flatly. “Kairi’s house is my home now. Dion’s there. I’m not going to disrupt my son’s life anymore for anyone.”

Sam held my gaze for a moment before nodding slowly. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll see what I can do, but you need to know this might drag on longer than you’re prepared for.”

I threw myself into the chair across from his desk instead of throwing the chair like I really wanted to. My frustration came out in a low growl. “This is ridiculous.”

Sam leaned forward, folding his hands. “Atlas, divorces are ugly. They’re expensive. And they’re personal. But we’ll fight this.”

I didn’t feel reassured. Leaving the office felt like walking out with a weight still tethered to my chest.

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